JNU collects ₹18 Lakh in fines—4X UG Annual fees
JNU has collected over ₹18 lakh in fines from students over the past six years for protests and rule violations. In 2023 alone, fines totaled ₹5.5 lakh. The RTI response revealed that this amount is nearly four times the annual fee of undergraduate students.
The university imposed strict disciplinary rules through its Chief Proctorial Office (CPO) manual in December 2023. The manual introduced fines up to ₹20,000 for protests, “anti-national” slogans, and demonstrations in restricted areas. JNU, a publicly funded institution, charges only ₹410 per year for most undergraduate courses.
In 2024, JNU enrolled 1,209 students across 10 undergraduate programs, collecting ₹4.95 lakh in total fees. Meanwhile, fines far exceeded that amount. The RTI report disclosed previous fines: ₹3.5 lakh in 2019, ₹40,000 in 2020, and ₹3.8 lakh in 2022. After the CPO manual’s implementation in 2023, fines surged to ₹5.5 lakh.
JNU students protested a hostel fee hike in 2019, leading to widespread penalties. However, in 2023, the Vice Chancellor announced that students involved in those protests would not face fines.
According to university rules, students who refuse to pay fines risk expulsion, class bans, and restrictions on participating in campus activities. The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) has strongly opposed these fines, demanding the removal of the CPO manual. They even staged a 17-day hunger strike to push for its repeal.
